Driving a Truck vs Mowing Grass.....

duplicate post

 

I like truck driving just fine, but I also liked cutting grass (I worked at a country club as a grounds man for a couple of years), and driving motorcoach buses (for 20 years), and brewing beer (I was a brewer for six years back in the very early days of craft brewing). Ultimately, it came down to the paycheck. I make better money driving a truck, so that’s what I do.

In a perfect world, I’d be home every night, but in this world I’m home every weekend, and I’m on a waiting list for the next local slot with my company. That works for me.

 

Still mowing grass, just saying

 

load securement...?

 

Sounds like you enjoy your family time.

Landscape is different here, no off season, it's called snow plow season where you spend a lot for the equipment and hope Mother Nature let's you recover it some time in the next few years; then she dumps a bunch of the white stuff to the point where the equipment wears and breaks sooner than expected.

There are driving positions that would give you family time but outside of a regional relay, terminal an back trips [which would be sought after by a lot of people] it is NOT going OTR but you have been given a lot of choices for local only jobs that can pay better.

Gone will be doing it in 4 and having 3 days at the shore.

Might get two but as your family grows the youth activities are gonna cut into that and those things will be just as important so your current flexibility could be a benefit.

If you have wanderlust, save it for later. I had an owner operator who had worked as a company man thru his younger married years. Now he runs OTR to the point where we had his deposit slips to mail his check to his home bank. A 'Good Ole Boy' he chewed a unique looking chew he could not obtain on the road and he would ask to head by the house for a few days to re-stock. Bought a new Marmon every 5 years [had one on order when they shut down and grabbed a Pete off the lot] and I'd like to think he's still going strong...that chew looked like a rope of dog crap 'bout 18" long folded in half in a wrapper; I guess it was easier to just chaw off a chunk while diving

 

Being your own boss does come with its own perks though you don't need to answer to anyone but the customer, however the grass does always seem greener on the other side of the fence specially if its been raining on the other side and not yours huh? If you plan on owning your own big rig do you due diligence first, maybe go out and try working for someone else that way they have all the pressure of doing the servicing and paying for all the expenses and all you'd need to worry about is getting to your destination on time in a safe and efficient manner. If you do get your own rig better multiply your expenses x 100 compared to a lawn mower.

 

Virtually every bit of advertisement in and about the trucking industry is the best case scenario if you have 10-20 years experience and work at the most selective company/sector of the industry.

It's like saying "learn to play baseball, that guy is making $50 million per year." Yes and no. He's also super-talented, spent decades perfecting his skill and is one of 50,000 applicants that wanted to play baseball.

 

I like the line

“pay up to”

 

I very rarely recommend this because straight working with one is usually no money, but buy a dump truck spec’d for your state, start getting into mulch and fancy stone/loam deliveries etc, then if you wish you can work it for some of the local companies when you don’t need it for yourself to turn some dollars over (no not “make money”) and still keep some of your lawn business

I’ve had plenty of work trucks, plenty of them without ac, there’s no way I’d forgo it at this point though

 

1) IF You, LawnGuyHouston, are not Happy with Your Home Life, go into Trucking.
2) IF You do Not Enjoy Your Family, Friends, Co-Workers, Contacts in the Industry as well Related Industries and Current FREEDOM (Your Time is Adjustable), go into Trucking (Your Time is Controlled).
3) IF You don't like a potential of Increasing Your Business/or a related/unrelated side Business, go into Trucking.
4) IF You believe what "recruiters" tell You You Can Make Your 1st Year, go into Trucking. (recruiters are paid to put a Body in a Seat, though there are "some truths" in what they say)
5) In addition to what has been stated regarding "Getting into Trucking": You'll likely get bumped around regarding "Requested Home Time" AFTER The Training period.
5A)IF You choose to go into Trucking, NEVER EVER answer Your Phone When On Home Time!!
6) You wanna experience a bit of Trucking while at HOME??
Put a Running Lawnmower next to Your Bedroom Window before bedding down. That'll be reasonably equivalent to pulling a Reefer (Refrigerated Trailer).

Whatever You choose, is Your Choice and hopefully with a Newborn, I believe You'll be Blessed at Home with new explorations and incentives!

CHEERS!!